Age of Chaos
by Mariner1
Summary: Prequel to original Legend of Zelda. As the kingdom of Hyrule falls, General Roam struggles in a futile attempt to save the Royal family and the Triforce
1. Default Chapter

[Author's note: This story tells a bit about Roam's past, a character I created in my last fanfic, Link's Ascension. Roam is not the Roam from Nintendo Power's Link to the Past comic; he was simply my inspiration. Also, it is not necessary to read Link's Ascension first, as this is a stand alone story. The title comes from the original Zelda's instruction manual, and this story is basically an elaboration of the events told in the manual's backstory. As such, this is a prequel to the original Zelda game, albeit this one not dealing with Link's part. In case you are wondering, the Triforce of Courage is still hidden away at this point (see Adventure of Link storyline), so is not mentioned here (as no one knows of it). Tallon is a village situated within the LoZ playing map. This story is placed approximately 4-5 years before Link's Ascension, and starts two days before Zelda 1]   
  
Roam's small white horse galloped through the courtyard of Hyrule castle, heading directly for the group that stood expectedly. From his position, the general could see many of his troops staring at him from the barracks or their posts on the castle walls. Normally, during battle, the sight of the general would inspire cheers from the soldiers and a renewal of their strength, but silence filled the air today. A few were simply relieved at the small respite from the siege, but most stared at their commander with worry in their eyes. Some desperately hoped that the situation was not as bad as the rumors and their own eyes told them, but others were resigned to their fate and just wanted to know how soon it would be over. But Roam paid them no heed and kept his face expressionless. It would all be decided soon enough.   
  
He quickly dismounted and approached the group. He was the last one to arrive, as his duties at the front had kept him occupied. The king was in the center of course, surrounded by his seven counselors. Prince Andruin was also present, much to Roam's delight. He too had just come off the front lines; his tactical knowledge and military skill second only to Roam's. The Prince had been an invaluable ally up there, and his quick thinking had already halted two major offenses. But he too looked grim, and knew as well as Roam did that they were only delaying the inevitable.   
  
The King started the meeting with no formalities. "I am sure you all know the message the enemy has given us. It is an ultimatum; surrender within the next four hours or die. If we do not surrender, they claim they will kill everyone in the castle, leaving no stone unturned. Sir Roam?"   
  
Roam cleared his throat. "Although I wish it were not so, your Majesty, I believe they have the capability to do it. Their army outnumbers ours six to one, and they show no sign of fatigue. Likewise, we have seen no major loss of morale in their ranks, and they continue fighting even after injured. We are at our last line of defenses now, and our troops are becoming tired. We are running out of arrows and other supplies. The best we can hope for is to make it costly enough to discourage them, but I see no sign of that happening."   
  
The king glanced at his son, and Andruin slowly nodded. "He's right. We've never fought a battle like this before, Father. They're demons. Only a portion of his army is human. The rest consist of wild beasts and creatures of the underground, and some are too terrifying to describe. Have you seen the skeleton warriors, the Stalfos? Every day we cut through their numbers, and every day more seem to appear. They are relentless, uncaring about death, no thoughts of laying down their weapons. They will keep coming at us until we collapse."   
  
"So there is no hope of waiting this out, or possibly wearing them down to nothing?" The king seemed to have expected this answer, but even so he looked for hope.   
  
"None. There are simply too many of them. And like Prince Andruin stated, they seem to regenerate." Roam hated being the bearer of bad news, but the king needed the truth. Hyrule was doomed, and there was nothing he could do about it.   
  
"What about stalling them? Word must have reached the neighboring countries by now. Perhaps some will come to our aid." The old man, minister of the state, did not seem to want to give up yet.   
  
Roam sighed. "We can hold out only for a few more days I believe. They continue their attack day and night, which wears our troops out too quickly."   
  
The king shook his head. "I cannot risk the lives of all these people on a baseless hope."   
  
"What about the Triforce, My Lord? Can you use it to aid us?" The newest of the seven councilors, Roam mused, and undoubtedly not aware of the Triforce's limits.   
  
"We have tried. The Triforce is a very focused tool, and cannot work well against a broad army. And it resists... killing people." The king's voice lowered. "It is a symbol of peace. It cannot truly be used in war." Roam was not as sure about that last part, but it was not his place to speak. The king continued, "It seems we have no choice but to surrender. But I am not ready to give up everything yet. He may have our country, but he will have little else. If only I knew what he was after."   
  
A new minister spoke up, the minister of finance. "My Lord, I fear there is only one reason that this adversary would attack Hyrule. I believe he is after the Triforce." The king looked up in surprise, and the councilor continued. "Considering the, ah, unique makeup of his army, I believe there is little doubt that he is a great practitioner in magic, particularly the black arts." Nods of assent percolated across the small council. "As such, it stands to reason he would like more magical power, specifically the Triforce. Furthermore, with an army of his size, he could have aimed his attack at other, stronger kingdoms. Hyrule is a small and unimportant country except for the magic triangles. What else could he be after?"   
  
The king nodded. "Your analysis makes sense. When used for evil, even necessary evil like a war, the Triforce corrupts the user, which is why I cannot use it here. But if it fell into the hands of an evil man, or beast as this leader seems to be, than he shall be able to use it for even greater evil. With the Triforce, he could conquer the world." Hushed murmurs around the council. "We cannot let it fall into his hands."   
  
Roam spoke up. "Your Majesty, if you try to save it somehow, surely he will take his anger out on you. I cannot allow that."   
  
But the king cut him off. "You must. I am old now, and my reign shall end." He smiled grimly. "It is time I passed on my inheritance. Roam, gather a dozen of your best knights. While we go to surrender, you will escape out the back with Andruin and Zelda, as well as the Triforce. You must move quickly, and do not look back. Perhaps someday, my son and daughter can come back to claim the throne and Hyrule. But today, we must salvage what we can."   
  
"Find a messenger to tell this Ganon that we shall be prepared to surrender in one hour. Good luck to you Andruin. And you too, Roam. Our future lies with you now. This meeting is adjourned."   
  



	2. 2

Sixteen horses pawed nervously at the walls of the castle. For obvious reasons, many gates were built within the wall, and all were well guarded. But other, less obvious passages were hidden as well. From the outside, the wall looked unbroken, as solid as the rest of the rampart. Yet it was only an illusion created long ago by the Triforce, hiding the doors behind them. And now those doors were swung open, and the exiles were ready to leave as soon as it was clear. It was reported that the enemy lines were thin here, as the majority of the army had been at the front assault or watching the gates. Besides, word of the surrender must have reached the whole army by now, and certainly few among Ganon's army were expecting anything to happen. The creatures here were the wild men of the forests, the moblins. They seemed not to be entirely under Ganon's control, and were among his weakest soldiers. With luck, the escape would be without any mishaps.   
  
The knights were all relatively calm, upset about being forced off the lines, frustrated at the loss, but honored by being chosen to protect the royal family in this hour of defeat. They were good choices, all twelve of them, and Roam had no doubts they would fight with valor. Andruin and Zelda were whispering to each other, the prince undoubtedly giving advice and further explaining the situation to his younger inexperienced sister. And then there was the old Impa, much to Roam's disgust. She had insisted on coming along with Zelda, babbling on about how she had to come with. Her mystic nonsense meant nothing to the knight, but Zelda had also insisted, and there had been no time to argue. Didn't they understand? This was too serious for whatever childish reasons Zelda had for this.   
  
The time had come. Ganon's party had approached the gates of Hyrule, ready to accept the king's surrender. Motioning with his hand, Roam burst through the imaginary wall, the rest of the party close behind. The remaining band of moblins on guard duty had no time to react. The knights had seem to come from nowhere, and the moblins merely scattered rather than fight back. But they were efficiently run down and killed, as Roam could leave no chance that they might report to their master. Sure, their deaths would arouse much suspicion, but vague warnings were certainly better than the detail live witnesses would leave. Off the party sped, into the nearby forest. The pace was fast, as Roam wanted to put as much room between themselves and Ganon's army as possible. Who knew if their escape had been noticed?   
  
Finally deep within the forests of Hyrule, Roam called a halt to rest. They could not hide for very long, certainly no more than a day or two. Ganon would soon learn of the loss of the Triforce and the heirs to the throne. And with the castle secured and Hyrule's army broken, Ganon would have plenty of time and resources to search for them. How could they survive? Laying low, of course, and staying as far away from the castle as possible. The larger the area Ganon would have to search, the more he will be forced to spread out his troops, and the better odds Roam and his little band would have if a confrontation did ensue. But where would they go? Should they try to leave Hyrule, or take refuge in one of the villages? Should they try to mount some sort of offense? There just wasn't enough time to properly plan this mission. There were no contingencies present, no set paths, and simply too many uncertainties. And the risks of failure were simply too much. Everything was weighted against them here, and there seemed to be no way of knowing the correct path.   
  
As the rest of his men sat picking at their rations or standing guard, Roam called Andruin over to discuss their plans. Zelda joined them as well. It annoyed Roam for a moment - what could she possibly contribute? - but he pushed those thoughts away. It was now an all too real possibility that Andruin could be killed, and Zelda would need to grow up quickly in this situation. Participating, or at least listening, to these decisions would be a step in the right direction in the possibility that she would be Queen. Roam outlined his thoughts to the remains of the Royal Family, predicting that Ganon's first priority would be to find them and that the land would soon be crawling with his minions. No matter where they went, it would be unsafe.   
  
"But we cannot stay hidden in these woods for too long," Andruin replied. "Our supplies will certainly not last. And Ganon will soon conquer the rest of the towns in Hyrule. With his soldiers occupying the towns, how would we find supplies? We must make it to one of these towns before Ganon's men do. Once there, we can hide out for as long as necessary."   
  
"I am not sure such a plan will work, my lord. We... we cannot remain for too long in a town. It would be impossible to keep a secret for such a long time, and we would soon be found out. I think the risks are too great." Roam sighed. "Separating ourselves from this army of his must be our goal. We are too defenseless to choose any other option." To say those words were painful. Roam was a soldier, and a good one at that. Admitting defeat and running was not his style.   
  
Andruin, too, looked dejected. "And we cannot stay in the wilderness of Hyrule either. It appears that we must accept exile, and leave Hyrule at once." Roam started to object, but Andruin cut him off. "No, this is the only course of action available to us. We must get the Triforce pieces as far away from this monster as possible, and so must rely on the protection of our neighbors. Perhaps I can convince them of the dangers we all face from Ganon, and convince them to liberate our country. It is our only hope."   
  
After a long silence, Roam nodded his head. "You are correct. There is only one objection however. What if Ganon came to the same conclusion? We must reach the docks before his men do, or else all is lost." _That is what I would do in his position_, Roam thought grimly. _And so we must expect that to be what Ganon is planning as well_. And if so, what would become of their only hope? It seemed as if all avenues of escape will be cut off.   
  
It appeared from his face that Andruin had reached the same conclusion that Roam had. The docks that led to escape from Hyrule were their only choice, but it may already be too late. "Nevertheless, we must risk it. Mido is the closest port town. We shall head there tonight."   
  
Roam nodded, but Zelda spoke up for the first time. "We should split up."   
  
"My lady, I do not believe that would be wise." How does one tell the princess that she is out of her element? "Our numbers are too small already, and splitting up will greatly reduce our chances in battle."   
  
But Zelda continued. "Our chances are too slim already. And if we are together, and attacked, then Ganon would have both Triforce pieces... and there would be no heir." After a pause, she regained her composure and continued, "yet our chances double if we split up. And as long as one Triforce piece is out of his grasp, we will still have hope. Someone will still be able to confront him and stop him."   
  
"She's right." Roam looked up in surprise to hear the prince agree to this claim, but Andruin went on. "It is better that one of us make it then both of us dying. We have a better chance of at least a partial success if we split up. One group will head toward Mido, and the other toward Tallon. Head for the kingdom of Sisema, and hopefully we shall meet there." It was decided then.   
  
The meeting did not last much longer. It was decided that Roam and six of the knights would go with Zelda to Tallon, along with the Triforce of Wisdom. They would travel under the cover of night, not stopping until they reached their destination. If they could not find passage to Sisema, they would try to cross the great Goronian Range to the west and escape. Speed was of the essence - surely Ganon's men would be looking for them by now.   
  
Zelda was sitting near the edge of their camp, talking with the Impa. Andruin, from a distance, was watching her, and did not notice the general approaching him. "M'lord, are you all right?"   
  
Andruin sighed. "My father is undoubtedly dead by now. I cannot believe this monster that defeated us would have let him live." Roam did not respond; what could he say? The prince - quite possibly the new king - continued, "And now I fear I will lose Zelda as well. She is still bright, still as optimistic as ever. I am sure she knows the seriousness of our situation, yet she still believes we will be successful... but I cannot feel the same. Roam, what are our chances? We are strong warriors, as are the rest of the knights here, but how can we escape his power? You saw him fight, his army is virtually invincible. We are riding to our doom, and even the merest glimpse of hope is fading."   
  
Roam answered quietly, "we must do our best. I do not believe fate would leave us without any hope." But they were hollow words. How could one believe in hope when so much has been lost? The dark army of Ganon now had complete control over Hyrule; who knew what fate would befall its citizens? What good would saving the Triforce be if the country was lost? _It's over. Even if we eventually destroy this Ganon, Hyrule will never be the same. We've lost too much already. _   
  
But he did not let those thoughts be known to Andruin. The new king did not need any more worries, and it was not Roam's place to consider the future. He was a soldier and a strategist, and his only concern now was to find a way to get Zelda out of Hyrule. There was a very real chance they would not make it, and he would be dead in a few days. But such thoughts did not concern him. _I have led a good life, one that I am proud of. If I fail now, then so be it. We must only do our best_.   
  
But he was well aware of the fact that his friend and king could not feel the same way. Andruin felt the responsibilities of the land, the weight of the kingdom. And he felt concern for his sister, the loss of his father, and the sacrifices all are making for him. The grim determinism Roam felt could not be transferred to him, and would not be welcome. Andruin did not have the luxury of the soldier's perspective.   
  



	3. 3

At nightfall they split, Roam heading south, Andruin heading east. They traveled swiftly, desperately hoping no allies of Ganon would find them along the way. There was no need for talk, for nothing remained to be said. Roam's men fanned out along the plain, keeping a watchful eye on any who might see them, but fortunately no one seemed to be present. Ganon's men must still be busy fortifying and securing the castle, or perhaps he did not realize the escape. But Roam knew that was a hollow hope. If it was the Triforce the beast was after, he would search for it immediately. They rode faster.   
  
But the Death Mountains slowed them down considerably. The sharp inclines and jagged pathways were not suited for horseback riding, and they proceeded on foot, leading the horses along. They avoided the caves, for the horses could not make their way through. But Roam did not want to voice his true reason – he feared they would already be crawling with the enemy. Better to keep out of site and work their way through the mountains. It was slow moving, and as dawn crept over the horizon Roam called for a rest.   
  
By afternoon he was ready to move on. They needed to make it to the edge of the mountains by nightfall, so that they could reach the docks during the night. He could see the weariness in his knights, but they knew that it was necessary. Rest and comfort were luxuries they simply could not afford. Zelda too looked determined, willing herself to bear more difficulty than she had ever faced before. But it was Impa that surprised Roam the most. She seemed almost impatient, as if she knew what to expect. The old woman was pushing herself much further than Roam would have thought possible, and he wondered how she could do it. Devotion to Zelda? Possibly, but Roam sensed she had as much interest in the fate of the Triforce as anyone, which was puzzling. Did she know something he did not?   
  
Finally, they reached the other side of the mountain range. Roam was starting to feel hope yet again, but a gasp from Zelda made him pause. She fell to the ground, looking as if she were desperately trying to hold back some unseen pain. Annoyance briefly flashed across Roam's face – they had to keep moving – but he could see that there was a problem. "My Lady, are you all right?"   
  
She looked at him, and he saw her face lined in grief. "My brother is dead," she quietly said. "I saw it… with the Triforce. Ganon's men ambushed them outside of Mido. They fought well, nearly made it. But then_ he_ appeared. Ganon. Roam, the knights could do nothing against him." Could this beast really have that much power? Zelda closed her eyes, as if in a trance, and continued her story. "He stood over Andruin, and reached out. The Triforce came to him, released from Andruin's grasp. And then he smiled… the most evil smile imaginable. And then he… killed him. As if he was nothing. Andruin's dead."   
  
"My Lady, you cannot be sure of this. Surely this is merely a vision, of your fears or of what might be. You cannot be sure." But Roam knew these words would not help. He saw the pain in her eyes, and knew that such a story could not be fabricated. One half of the group failed. And he would now insure the other half cannot.   
  
Zelda confirmed his fears. "No, it was real. I know it." Suddenly she looked up, as if startled. "Roam, he _knows_. About us, where we are heading. We are too late; the port has been destroyed, and Ganon is moving towards the town. He knows we are heading this way, and has blocked off all escape. We cannot go back either. The mountains are now filled with his men."   
  
He had to trust her. "Then let us move west, quickly. We can pass through the Goronian range and escape that way. We may still have some time."   
  
But she shook her head. "No Roam, he expects that. And as long as I have the Triforce, he will find us."   
  
Impa spoke up now, to Roam's surprise. "There is one other way," she said to Zelda. "It may be the only way."   
  
Zelda nodded solemnly, as if expecting this. Apparently, she knew what the old woman was talking about, and she seemed to agree with it. "The Triforce must be hidden; we must delay him as long as possible. Roam, do your knights know of the ancient labyrinths in this land?" Roam nodded, as did the others around him. No one knew why they had been formed or for what purpose, but it was well known by the army where they could be found. A general had to know the layout of the land in case he were to ever fight there. Satisfied with his response, Zelda continued. "I will break the Triforce into eight segments, and we shall hide them within the labyrinths. Only then shall we attempt to escape west. Hopefully Ganon will follow us rather than the Triforce shards."   
  
This was madness. Ganon would merely find them, kill them, and then find the Triforce at his leisure. If the Triforce was truly giving Zelda visions, then they should keep it, using it against Ganon. But Roam saw Zelda there, calmly giving orders. She was royalty, and for the first time Roam realized she did know how to rule. It wasn't madness, she had some unseen reason for this. _I should trust her on this_, he thought. _She knows what she is doing_.   
  
He quickly gave orders to his men, telling them which labyrinths to take. Impa too would take a piece. Zelda was to ride with one of the knights, as Roam did not feel comfortable of letting her ride alone. Granted, one bodyguard would not be enough if Ganon found them, but he felt safer anyway. They would hide the pieces and then move west, meeting at an agreed upon cave. They were to wait as little as possible, as Roam wanted Zelda out. Any knight left behind could take care of himself.   
  
Zelda closed her eyes and held the Triforce in front of her. Her hands seemed to glow as she concentrated, and soon the Triforce burst. Eight identical pieces now floated in front of Zelda. Each knight grabbed a piece and mounted his horse. Before they all left, Zelda turned to Impa. "Much rests on you. Please, do not fail." Impa nodded and rode off before Roam could ask. Zelda too left, her bodyguard following. And the rest of the knights split.   
  
Roam finished his task automatically, almost without thinking. As he made his way through one of the labyrinths to place his piece, he could not let his mind off of what she said to Impa. What did they mean? Zelda must have some other plan in place, and he would have to ask her when they reached the rendezvous point. But what sort of plan could it be? This whole system made no sense. It seemed Zelda only wanted to delay Ganon, as surely she knew they were leaving the Triforce defenseless. But what good would a delay do? And what did Impa have to do with it? There seemed no answer to these riddles as he rode west.   
  
But when he arrived, he wondered if he would ever find out. One other knight was present, his face pale. "Sir… it was like this when I arrived." And he soon saw what he meant. Two other knights lay dead, surrounded by corpses of Ganon's men. And one of them was the knight who accompanied Zelda. But she, nor her body, was nowhere to be seen.   
  
He fanned out, searching the ground when his worst fears were realized. A necklace lay on the ground, one that Zelda had been wearing. Surely, she threw it down as a sign. If her body was not here, then she must have been captured by Ganon. And once he had her, he had no reason to wait around. Roam had no idea where Zelda would be now, and surely they were too late to track them.   
  
_We failed. Andruin is dead, and Zelda is captured. Ganon has the Triforce of Power, and Wisdom is defenseless. How could this be?_ But Roam knew the odds were against them when he started, and he knew that this was a possibility. He could not allow his grief to overrule him, could not fall into despair. Even with all hope lost, he had to press on.   
  
They waited for the rest of the group to appear, although not all made it. But there was no sign of Impa, and Roam wondered if this was by design or if she too had been caught. But he could not worry about her now. He let the others know of what happened, and then told them of his plans. Zelda was trying to stall Ganon, and Roam decided to do his best to aid that idea. They would head north, and strike in weak spots throughout Ganon's rule. There was no possible way they could overthrow him, so there was no reason to try. Better to remain an annoyance, to keep Ganon's attention focused on them. Roam would have to lead an insurrection, no matter how unsuccessful they might be. He refused to give up, refused to stop fighting. Ganon may have won, but Roam would never accept that. And his men, loyal to him and to Hyrule, agreed. They would follow him even unto their deaths.   
  
And so he headed north, away from the Triforce and away from Impa. Whatever would happen there was beyond his control, and he wanted to strike near the heart of Ganon's rule. But he could not strike Ganon himself, as Roam knew he could never face the beast. Such a course was doomed to failure, and he held no fantastic notions. The fate of the Triforce was no longer in his hands.   
  



End file.
